Cold fusion experiment reproduced? Now what?

Image by aussiegall via Flickr

Hypothetically, near-room-temperature reactions in which two smaller nuclei join together to form a single larger nucleus while releasing large amounts of energy are possible. This hypothesis has been (maybe still is) highly controversial.

Reproducibility is one of the main principles of the scientific method, and it refers to the ability of a test or experiment to be accurately reproduced by someone else working independently. Attempts to replicate the Pons and Fleischmann experiment produced conflicting results. Until “now” that is. Italian scientists claim to have demonstrated cold fusion. And patented.